The present invention relates to a filtering method for an automatic pool-cleaning robot.
Pool cleaning robots are self-propelled automatic units that clean by scrubbing and vacuuming the pool floors and walls. The suction created by its internal pump vacuums the debris and captures it in an internal filter. When the internal filter gets dirty, it is removed, cleaned and re-installed for re-use. The filter is usually cleaned after every use of the pool cleaner.
All commercially available pool-cleaning robots use a "bag" type internal filter. These "bag" type filters are cumbersome to remove and install. They require tie bands and/or clips and also proper folding or orientation to secure in place. The "bag" type filter is also laborious and difficult to clean because the nature of the bag requires the user to invert it "inside-out" while full of debris in order to clean it properly. A garden hose spray nozzle is used to remove the remaining fine debris from the inside of the filter bag. This spraying process is cumbersome because the bag is pliable (has no permanent shape) which makes it difficult to hold and spray clean. It is well known that most customers complain about the difficulty of cleaning the "bag" type filter.
The permeability or "flow rate" per given area and porosity of bag type filters is low and therefore requires higher power to suck the water through the bag type filter. The power consumption when operating the pool cleaner is therefore higher, making it more expensive to operate the pool cleaner.
It is therefore a principal object of this invention to provide an internal filter for an automatic pool-cleaning robot that is both easy to remove/install and easy to clean.
A further object of this invention is to considerably decrease the power consumption of the automatic pool-cleaning robot making it less expensive to operate.
These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art.